walker



March 1927' E. H. WALKER DRAFT GEAR Filed March 29, 1924 Z'SheBtS-ShGGt 1 9 March r E. H. WALKER DRAFT GEAR Filed March 29, 1924 2' Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 22, 1927.

UNITED STATES EDMUND H. WALKER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

DRAFT GEAR.

Application filed March 29, 1924. Serial No. 702,795.

The invention relates to friction draftgear for railway cars, and has for its principal object the provision of means adapted to prevent the incorrect assembly of the several friction members or wedge blocks with respect to the friction box.

Another object of the invention is to provide a friction draft gear in which the usual friction wedge blocks positioned in the friction box, in addition to being designed to permit clearance of the blocks upon full closure of the gear, are also provided with means for facilitating correct assembly, said means involving cooperating portions upon the wedge blocks disposed so as to interlock the same while at the same time permitting of their relative frictional sliding movement.

A further object of the invention is to provide a strong and durable friction draft gear in which the several parts can be easily and correctly assem'l'iled, the means preferably utilized to insure the correct assembly of the several friction wedge blocks involving cooperating projections and recesses provided respectively on adjacent portions of said blocks.

In the drawings chosen to illustrate the invention, the scope whereof is pointed out in the claims:

Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating the friction draft gear positioned in a railway draft rigging.

' Figure 2 is a detached view of the friction draft gear in side elevation, with a portion thereof shown in section.

Figure 3 is an end view from the left hand side of the draft gear shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a detail illustration of the spring barrel or casing viewed from the closed end thereof and having a portion shown in section.

Figure 5 is a sectional elevation of the center wedge block or friction member.

Figure 6 is a view of one end of the block shown in Figure 5, a portion of the block being shown in section.

Figure 7 is a top plan view, with portions in section, of the center wedge block, on the line -7--7 ofFigure 5.

Figure 8 is a side elevation of one of the cooperating or outer wedge blocks.

Figure 9 is an end elevation of the block shown in Figure 8 viewed from the right hand side.

Figure 10 is a detail cross sectional View showing adjacent portions of the coacting wedge blocks slidably interlocked through their tongue and groove connection.

Referring to the drawings in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views, I have shown my invention applied to a friction draft gear inserted within a railway draft rigging involving the horizontal two-key Farlow construction. The center sills 1-1 are each provided with cheek plates 2, said sills and cheek plates being suitably slotted to permit relative movements of the keys in the usual manner. Positioned between the sills is a horizontal yoke 3, the forward ends of the yoke arms being slotted to receive the key 4 which connects the coupler 5 with the yoke, and also extended into the alined slots of the sills and cheek plates. Another key 6 extends through the second series of slots in the sills and cheek plates, said second named key also passing through slots provided in the yoke arm and the follower block 7 interposed between the butt of the couplerand the friction device. A rear stop member or back stop 8 is provided with which the rear of the yoke contacts.

The draft gear or cushioning mechanism comprises a spring barrel or casing 9 to one end of which is applied the friction box or head 10. The friction box is of rectangular form and is provided with inclined friction faces 11 adapted to cooperate with adjacent portions of the outer friction members or wedge blocks 12. The center friction member or wedge block is indicated by the numeral 13 and positioned therebetween and the cushioning springs 14: is the follower member 15 against which the springs bear.

The friction face upon which the rib 16' is. provided extends beyond said rib upon one side thereof, the adjacent portion of the corner portion of the block being cut away as indicated at 17. The extending friction face and adjacent cut-away portions of the outer wedge blocks are so arranged that the respective stepped portions of the block interlock and have relatively large clearance for permitting the full closure of the gear and the contacting of the follower with the friction box for imparting the excessive loads to the casing and in turn to the back stop. This construction of wedge block forms a better guide on the follower and effectively keeps the block from tipping or'canting,

The center friction member or wedge block 13 is provided with oppositely inclined friction faces cooperating with the adjacent surfaces of the outer wedge blocks, said. inclined faces each being provided with a groove or recess 18 into which fits the rib on the adjacent wedge block. The grooves or recesses in the center wedge extend the full length of the friction faces and terminate, in the end; wall portion against which the follower of the draft rigging bears. The followerlocontacts the other end face or wall of the center. wedge member, as best shown; in Eigure 2 v The 'coactingprojection: and depression of the respective wedge blocks are preferably rectangular in, cross section, the opposite side wallsof the recess and rib being slightly inclined with respectto the base of the groove and, the edge of. the rib,.suchi as shown. in Figure 10; r

. In assembling-the Wedge blocks, it will be observed that the interlocking or interengaging portions prevent the positioning of the outer wedge blocks in any other manner, than with= the smooth outer friction faces contacting the inclined surfaces 11, the projectingribs 16 of said blocks being caused to,e,nter the; correspondingly shaped grooves or depressions 18, thus permitting the several. blocks to move with relation to each other for developing maximum friction al: resistance.v 7

While I have shown the wedge blocks as provided with single interengaging means, it will be understood; that more than one rib or othen similar portion may be provided, and I doinot wish toibe understood as limiting the: invention to the exact disclosure herein, Thev several wedge blocks are preferably, cast. hollow, as shown. Friction Wedge; members constructed in accordance withythe present inventionare comparativel-y v inexpensive to manufacture and may be very rapidly, assembled within the friction box, and maintained in interlocked and sliding, relation, while at the same time be ing, capable of their usual operation for develeping maximunr friction. It will also be understoodthat the improved method of interengaging the'several; friction blocks can beaccomplished. without departing from the usual standards of measurement required in draft, gear construction.

L claim 1. A friction shock absorbing mechanism for; railway-draft rigginginvolving a spring barrel, a. friction box-j positioned at one end of said barrel, a: spring mounted within said barrel, a; pluralityof wedge blocks cooper;-

sides of the center wedge block adapted to interengagingly coact with an adjacent portion of each of the first named wedge blocks, said means serving. to facilitate correct assembly thereof.

2. A friction shock absorbing mechanism for railway draft rigging involving a spring barrel, a rectangular friction box positioned at one end of the barrel and having oppo-' sit-ely disposed inclined friction faces, a spring mounted within said barrel, a plurality of cooperating wedge blocks, the, cutenmost of said blocks having portionscontact ing the inclined friction faces of the fries tion box, and the intermediate wedge block having portions coacting with adjacent portions of the outer wedge blocks for facili tating correct assembly of the blocks, all; of said wedge blocks being relatively movable,

3. A friction shock absorbing mechanism for railway draft rigging involvingga spring barrel, a rectangular friction. box psitioned! at one end of the barrel and having oppo sitely disposed inclined frictionv faces, a spring mounted within said barrel, friction wedge blocks having portions cooperating with the friction box, each of said blocks having a projecting portion, anda center wedge block having portionscoacting re spcctively with said projecting portions: for facilitating correct assembly of the several wedge blocks.

l. A shock absorbing mechanism of the class described including in combination a friction box having inclined; friction faces,

a cushioning element, acasing;surroundingsaid cushioning element and engaging sai friction box, a plurality of friction blocks;

having portions engaging the inclined frietion faces of the friction, box, a wedgeblnck;

interposed between said friction blocks, and means including coacting vprojections; and recesses for interlocking said. wedge'and friction blocks.

5. A shock absorbing mechanism of?v the class described, the combination with a; friction box having inclined friction faces, a: cushioning element, afcasing surrounding said? cushioning element and; engaging the friction. box, a plurality of friction blocks having their outer faces engaging the inclined faces of the friction box, the inner faces of each of said friction blocksbeing provided with a projection, and a v friction wedge block coactingwith said friction blocks, said friction wedge block being pro vided with depressions adapted to slidingly receive the projections on saith friction blocks.

6. A wcdge" block for friction. draft gear having a. plurality of friction surfaces, one

of said surfaces being provided with means adapted to coact with meansl on an adjacent block for interfi'ttingly engaging the same therewith, said wedge block having a stepped portion formed by continuing a portion of one of said friction surfaces beyond the aforesaid means and cutting away a portion of the block adjacent the continued friction surface.

7. 1n a friction draft gear including a friction box having inclined friction sur faces, and outer and inner wedge blocks coacting with said surfaces and with one another, the outer wedge blocks each having one corner adjacent the inner wedge block cut away at one side to define a stepped portion, the step wall opposite the adjacent surface of the inner wedge block being inclined outwardly away from the longitudinal center line of the gear.

8. In a friction draft gear including a friction box having inclined friction surfaces and a center wedge; friction blocks interposed between and coacting with the center wedge and friction box, each of said friction blocks having a corner adjacent the center wedge cut away at one side, one wall of the cut away portion lying in a plane longitudinally of the block and the other extending at an angle with respect to a horizontal plane passing through the longitudinal center of the gear.

9. In a shock absorbing mechanism of the character described, a spring barrel, a friction box at one end thereof having oppositely inclined friction surfaces, cushioning means within the spring barrel, a pair of friction blocks having inclined outer surfaces coact-ing with the inclined surfaces of the friction box and likewise having inclined inner surfaces, and a wedge block interposed between and contacting with said friction blocks, the adjacent ends of the friction blocks having their diagonally opposite corners formed in stepped relation.

10. In a shock absorbing mechanism of the character described, a spring barrel, a friction box at one end thereof havin oppositely inclined friction surfaces, cus llOIling means within the spring barrel, a pair of friction blocks having inclined outer surfaces coacting with the inclined surfaces of the friction box and likewise having inclined inner surfaces, a wedge block interposed be tween and contacting with said frictionblocks, the adjacent ends of the friction block's having their diagonally opposite corners formed in stepped relation, and the contacting faces of the friction blocks and wedge block being formed with inte-rfitting ribs and grooves, said stepped portions and the ribs and grooves facilitating correct assembling of the parts.

In testiniiony whereof I affix my signature.

EDMUND H. WALKER. 

